The invention relates to a supporting and guiding arc for cast strands, in particular for cast slabs, which arc has arcuate longitudinal carriers with rollers supporting the strand at opposite sides. The arcuate longitudinal carriers are arranged in a stationary framework and either the inner or the outer or both of the roller-carrying arcuate longitudinal carriers are adjustable or braceable relative to the framework under elastic deformation for adjustment to various strand thicknesses.
Such a supporting and guiding arc, as described e.g. in Austrian Pat. No. 290,750 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,710,847), makes it possible to set the opposite roller paths at various distances, while preventing points of discontinuity.
However, the readjustment of such a supporting and guiding arc from one strand thickness to another one requires much time, particularly when the rollers are multiply journaled due to their great length, i.e. when the rollers of each roller path rest -- via a number of arcuate longitudinal carriers distributed over their longitudinal extension -- against the framework. In that case with the known guiding arc it is necessary, for changing the roller distance, to detach the means fastening the arcuate longitudinal carriers to the framework, to exchange the washers provided at the fastening points for other ones having a different thickness and then to again rigidly connect the arcuate longitudinal carriers at all their fastening points with the framework. The great number of manipulations gives rise to sources of mistakes and inaccuracies.